Apparatus for cleaning tunnels, roadbeds, and the like



Aug. 11, 1925.

W. l. SMITH ET AL APPARATUS oR CLEANING TUNNELS,

ROADBEDS, AND THE LIKE Filed July 12 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '.--f-M 1ENTORS.

@WMM '9 BY y l ,S 4 m l ATTORNEYS.

AugA 11, 1925.

W. l. SMITH ET AL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TUNNELS, ROADBEDS, AND THE LIKE2 sheets-sneer Vz Filed July 12 1921 @QQGGOQOGQQQGGOG A TTORNEYJ',

Patented Aug. 11, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER I. SMITH, 0F BROOKLYN, AND ALGERNON R. BURNETTE, 0F NEW YORK, N.Y.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING TUNNELS, ROADBEDS, AND THE LIKE.

Application lcd July 12,

To all whom it muy cof/cem Be it known that we, 'Amnn I. SMITH andALGERNoN R. BURNETTE, citizens of the United States, residing atBrooklyn and New York, in the counties of Kings and New York,respectively. State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Cleaning Tunnels, Roadbeds, and the like,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning tunnels, subways,roadways, etc., by pneumatic` means. In prior attempts to clean subwaysor tunnels, the cleaning has been solely upon the roadbed and the dustand other foreign matter clinging to or resting upon the walls andcrevices of the tunnels was untouched. Difficulty has been eX- periencedin cleaning the roadbed due to the fact that the suction along thelength of the necessarily long nozzles is not uniform with the resultthat the cleaning at the sides of the roadbed is unsatisfactory. Thevacuum blowers have heretofore been connected to the. collecting nozzlessolely through the separator with the result that. the pressure tendingto carry the matter and air into the separator, and which is always lessthan atmospheric pressure is, considerably reduced by the resistance ofthe cloth bags that are commonly used in the separator. Consequentlyonly the finer and lighter particles or matter have been collected inthis manner.

An object of this invention is therefore to provide cleaning apparatusfor tunnels, subways, roadbeds and the like which will effectively andsatisfactorily clean all of the walls of the tunnel or subway; whichwill effectively, expeditiously, and efficiently clean the entireroadbed; which provides a stronger suction at the collecting nozzles soas to collect heavier lnatter and which puriiies the air of the tunnelor subway. A further object is to provide apparatus of this type whichmay be readily supported upon cars and transported through the tunnel orsubway, or over any roadbed during the cleaning operation; which isefficient, durable, eHective and inexpensive. Other objects andadvantages will be apparent from the following description and the novelfeatures of the invention will be particularly pointed out inclaims.

The invention comprises the details and arrangements which will be setforth in connection with the following detailed descrip- 1921. SerialNo. 484,095.

tion of a practical embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan of a car carrying a portion of the apparatus with thetop removed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially along the line a-aof Fig. 1 with the top in place.

Fig. 3 is a plan of another car carrying a further portion of theapparatus, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the same taken substantially alongthe liner b-b of Fig. 3. Y

In the illustrated embodiment, particularly adapted for tunnel or subwaycleaning, the cars 1 and 2 which are mounted upon trucks 3 and 4 andcoupled together, form the support for the apparatus and serve as meansby which it is carried over the roadbed or through the tunnels orsubways to be cleaned. Upon opposite ends of the car 1 are mountedblowers 5 and 6 or other suitable suction and pressure creating devices;the blowers being driven in any desired manner such as by motors 7 and 8with connecting belts 9 and 10. The car 2 supports a separator 11 and anair washer 12 of any desired construction. The separator usuallycomprises a compartment divided into two parts by closely woven cloth,which may be in the form of bags 13 as shown, through which the air ispassed to separate it from the solids carried by the moving air. Thewasher may comprise a tank through which the air is passed and subjectedto a spray of water or other purifying or disinfecting liquid which maybe circulated by a pump 14. The air after leaving the washer may bedischarged into the tunnel or open air through an opening 1:5 in thecar.

Upon the car l and between the blowers 5 and 6, three casings 16, 17 and18 are provided, the casings extending transversely across the car bothhorizontally and vertically and provided with substantially continuousslits 19 around the transverse periphery of the car and casings thatserve as air blast and suction nozzles. The platform frame, where itpasses through the casings 16, 17 and 18, is provided with a number ofapertures of considerable area so that the portion of the bottom orplatform frame which passes through the casings, will, in effect, bemerely a plurality of beams or strips which are integral portions of theremainder of the platform frame. They will therefore not offer anymaterial obstruction to the passage of the air through the casings tothe slits in the bottoms of the casings. The top wall, which is shown inFig. 2, is provided with openings or slits 19, which are elongated inthe direction of the underlying slits in the casing walls, the openings19a being spaced closely together' so as to provide a substantiallycontinuous slit and at the same time have suflicient material extendingacross the slits 19 of the casing to give suicient rigidity to thecasings and at the same time have a continuous top. Any desired numberof strips may, if necessary, be extended across the slits 19 to tietogether the poi'- tions of the casings on opposite sides thereof. Theoutlet pipe 20 of the blower 5 is divided into two conduits 21 and 22,each having a controlling valve 23 therein. The conduit 21 leads to anddischarges into the adjacent casing 16 so that when its valve 23 is opencompressed air will be forced into casing 16 and thence at a highvelocity through its slit 19 as a thin sheet or blast transversely andperipherally of the car, which blast serves to agitate and stir up theparticles of matter such as papers, dust, dirt, etc., which are upon theroadbed and all the walls of the tunnel, and hold them temporarily insuspension in the agitated air. The other branch 22 of the conduitpasses through the casing 16 and 17 and discharges into the casing 18 sothat when valve 23 of its conduit is open a sheet or blast of air willbe set up peripherally and transversely of the car in the same manner asthat from casing 16.

The casings are spaced apart along the length of the car and the casing17, which is between the other casings, is directly connected by aconduit 24 to the intake side of blower 6 so that operation of thisblower will create a partial vacuum in the conduit 24 and casing 17which causes the surrounding air to enter the casing through its slit119 with considerable velocity, and the air with suspended solid matteris carried into the casing 17 and thence conducted to the blower 6. Aconduit 25 connects the discharge end of the blower 6 with the separator11, the conduit having a suitable flexible coupling (not shown) Where itpasses between the cars. The air after entering the separator passesthrough the bags 13 by which the solid matter is held back and collectedin the chamber and the bags, after which the air divides, a portionpassing through the washer 12 and a portion passing into conduit 26through which it is conducted to car 1 and then to the intake side ofblower 5. The conduit 26 is also provided with a flexible coupling (notshown) where it passes between the cars.

The casings 16 and 18 are provided at their lower edges furthest fromthe casing 17, with deflecting plates 27 which depend into closeproximity to the roadbed so as to confine the agitated air adjacent theroadbed within the immediate influence of the suction casing 17. Plates18a are mounted upon the sides and top of the car in any suitablemanner, such as by screws 18b which pass through elongated slots 18c inthe plates, whereby the plates are slidingly disposed upon the sides andtop of the casings 16, 17 and 18, and operable independently or togetherto cover and uncover the slits or apertures. When the cleaner passes astation or platform, the air blast and suction upon the station orplatform side can be cut off to avoid danger or annoyance to passengerswho might be standing upon the platform. When the device is used solelyas a roadbed cleaner the side and top portions of the slits or aperturesof the casings may be closed by the plates. Doors 28 in the separatorcompartment provide access thereto for removing the collected andseparated matter at suitable intervals.

In use, the valves 23 are operated to admit compressed air to the casing16 or 18 which will be the forward casing as the cars move through thetunnel, and cut it oli from the one which will be the rear. The pump 14and blowers 5 and 6 are started up and the device is ready for movementthrough the tunnel. The blower 5 forces air into the forward casing (16or 18) and the pressure in the casing causes air to pass through theslit or nozzle 19 as a sheet or blast at a high velocity in alldirections transversely of t-he car. This blast of air stirs up andagitates the air against the walls and roadbed to lift papers, trash,dirt, dust and other foreign matter and temporarily hold it insuspension. The blower 6 by its direct' connection to the casing 17causes a partial vacuum therein so that the agitated air is carried intothis casing from all directions transversely of the car and thereforecarries the matter in suspension with it. This air and matter is drawninto the blower 6 through conduit 24 and then forced through conduit 25into and through the separator 11 where the solid or foreign matter isremoved by the cloth bags or fabric 13. From the separator a portion ofthe air may pass through the washer where it is subjected to a spray ofwater or disinfecting liquid and then discharged from the car into thetunnel through opening 15. The remainder of the air passes from theseparator through conduit 26 to the intake side of the blower 5. fromwhich it is reapplied to casing 16 or 18 under pressure. It will ofcourse be understood that all of the air may be passed through thewasher if desired and air drawn from the tunnel directly to the blower5, or all of the air from the separator may be conducted to the blower 5With or Without having been Washed` By using much` of the same air overagain the dust which is too tine to be removed by the separator will notbe dispersed into the tunnel to any great extent without puritication.As much as possible ot the air from the separator is preferably passedthrough the washer, since substantially all of the dust can be removedin this manner and the air of the tunnel is puri tied. It the liquid inthe ashcr is antiseptic, the bacteria present in the air will be killed.lith the suction fan directly connected to the casing 17, the suctionforce will be much stronger and, due to the chamber Within the casing17, the suction will be substantially uniform all along the slits orapertures 19 of this casing and the Walls and roadbed Will be eectivclyand expeditiously cleaned.

It will be understood that various changes in the details andarrangements herein described and illustrated may be made by thoseskilled in the art Within the principle and scope of the invention.

IVe claim:

1. A tunnel cleaning machine comprising a portable support, meanscarried thereby and adapted to emit compressed air theretrom at a highvelocity and in a direction transversely ot the tunnel to form asubstantially continuous peripheral transverse sheet-like blast ot airaround said support, and means also carried by the support and spaced tothe rear of the compressed air emitting means, relatively to thedirection ot movement ot the support through the tunnel, adapted bysuction to collect the matter stirred up and temporarily held insuspension by the blast of air.

2. A tunnel cleaning machine comprising a portable support, a suctiondevice carried thereby and having collecting openings adapted to collectair and mattei' carried by the air from all directions transverse to thetunnel, and means carried by the support for setting up jets otcompressed air at a high velocity in substantially all directionstransversely ot' the tunnel and in advance ot the collecting openingsrelatively to the direction ot' movement of the machine through thetunnel.

23. A tunnel cleaning machine comprisimg` means for projecting an airblast against the Walls oit' a tunnel to stir up extraneous mattertherein, and suction means having collecting openings opening toward allthe walls to collect the extraneous matter stirred up by the blast ofair and temporarily held in suspension therein.

4. In a cleaning device, a portable support, a casing having a chambertherein disposed to extend transversely of and entirely across thesupport both horizontally and vertically, said casing having asubstantially continuous slit around the same in a substantiallyvertical plane and opening into the chamber, and means for applyingsuction to said chamber so that the partial vacuum created in the latterprovides a substantially uniform suction entirely around the support.

5. In a cleaning device, a portable support, a pair of hollow casingscarried by and extending both horizontally and vertically across thesupport and also spaced apart relatively to the direction of movement otthe support, said casings each having a substantially continuous slitaround the same in a substantially vertical plane, means torcontinuously supplying compressed air to the interior of one of saidcasings, and means for creating a partial vacuum in the other oi saidcasings to collect air and suspended mattei', and means for receivingand separating the air and suspended matter.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our signatures.

YALTER I. SMITH. ALGERNGN R. BURNETTE,

